The
Philippine has been slammed by US Senator Patrick Leahy, he says that the
Philippine government should free opposition senator and number one critic of
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte – Leila De Lima.
Leahy’s
reaction was an offshoot of the threat given a few days ago to ban the two
senators who authored the resolution for the release of the detained opposition
senator.
"Rather
than responding by irrationally threatening to deny visas to American citizens,
the Duterte government should either release Senator De Lima immediately or
provide her the fair, public trial she is entitled to," Leahy said in a
statement.
Opposition Senator Leila De Lima (photo credit to owner) |
US
Senator Patrick Leahy and US Sen. Dick Durbin proposed the release of
senator Leila De Lima whom they described as being wrongfully detained by the
Duterte administration and that those officials involved in such detention be
barred from entering the United States.
The
2020 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill which was recently approved
by US President Donald Trump includes such proposal.
Philippine
Secretary of Justice in a prepared statement said: “"that Senator de
Lima’s indictment was upheld by the Philippine Supreme Court and that she has
been freely exercising all the rights of an accused in a fair and public trial.”
"They
also ought to know that Senator de Lima can only be released upon an
acquittal, and not at anytime upon pressure exerted by foreign politicians who
do not represent the people of the Philippines," he also said, referring
to Leahy and his colleagues in the US Senate.
"The
good senator from Vermont, through his spokesperson David Carle, is showing
more ignorance and uttering amusing nonsense on a subject matter based on bogus
narratives coming from President Rodrigo Roa Duterte's vocal and noisy critics
and detractors,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said of Leahy in an
earlier statement.
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